These Eyes, These Eyes, Sweet Thieves of My Soul

Poem by Jean-Antoine De Baïf Collection Loves of MélinePeriod 16th century

These eyes, these eyes, sweet thieves of my soul,
Have dazzled me with their fair splendor,
Fateful stars that with misfortune or fortune
Fill me brimful at madame’s pleasure.

In winter’s heart a spring perfumes the air
Wherever they turn they fix their ardor,
And wherever they lower their grandeur
A meadow blooms more fragrant than balsam.

The chaste fires of these twin brothers
Drawing me back from the shipwreck of the waters
By their clarity assure me of safety:

In their holy fire my life is kindled,
My life, alas, which will be consumed,
When their destiny decrees that they must die.

Jean-Antoine de Baïf

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-these-eyes-these-eyes-sweet-thieves-of-my-soul-jean-antoine-de-baif/